1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dental device that can deliver flavor and/or chemotherapeutic agents to the mouth. The device contains improved means for retaining the flavor and/or chemotherapeutic agent composition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The desire for adding flavor to the mouth and teeth while flossing has led to the development of flavored dental floss coatings. Dental flosses having flavoring applied directly to the floss are well known in the art. In use, flavored dental floss is inserted between teeth. The dental floss leaves a light flavoring in the mouth as the floss is passed between teeth.
Flavored dental floss is typically packaged and sold in lots of twenty-four or thirty-six units. The process for making flavored dental floss typically involves placing a traditional flavor system including flavor such as spray dried flavor in a coating such as a microcrystalline wax, then applying the coating to a fiber substrate to generate a dental floss. Dental floss holders have recently become a popular way of flossing between teeth. If these wax-coated dental flosses are used in an injection molding process for making dental floss holders, the coating will eventually clog the injection mold and cause the molding machine to jam. Furthermore, the amount of flavor available is small and thus only a hint of flavor can be provided through this technique.
A Controlled Release Interproximal Delivery System is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,165,913, wherein the dental floss contains surfactant and silicone preparations with added chemotherapeutic agents.
Unlike the present invention, the '913 patent provides flavor only to the floss, allowing for just a small amount of flavoring to be inserted into a user's mouth.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/805,737, filed Mar. 22, 2004, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference, teaches a dental floss holder having means for retaining flavor and/or active compositions. The means for retaining the compositions include through holes and anchors.
Although the device taught in the co-pending patent application is useful, there is a need for such a device with improved means for retaining the flavor and/or active composition in the device until used.